Saul Gittens, director of photography (DoP), reveals how to get into the camera department on film and TV sets.
He explains:
- the role of the camera assistant
- how to get experience and build contacts
- what makes a camera assistant stand out
- what to keep in your bag
- how to avoid common mistakes on set
He advises people starting out get there and shoot stuff, whether you’re using a small camera or a large camera, because all the basic disciplines still count.
About Saul Gittens
Saul Gittens has worked in the film and television industry for more than 35 years and is the in-house DoP and head of training and development for Procam.
He has made his mark as DoP on commercials, corporates and many of the UK’s top television shows including Dynamo: Magician Impossible and Derren Brown: The Push and Sacrifice.
When Saul isn’t on location, he's dedicated to supporting the next generation of filmmakers at Procam, running one-on-one hands-on sessions and helping trainees get on-set experience.
About the event
This recording of an online event that took place on 27 August 2020. It was supported by the ScreenSkills Television Skills Fund which invests in training for the freelance television workforce thanks to contributions from the BBC, Channel 4 and Channel 5. It’s part of a ScreenSkills programme managed by the Indie Training Fund to support freelancers to upskill and stay connected, helping keep the industry resilient in the coronavirus pandemic.
Further careers information
Look at our film and TV drama camera trainee job profile and our camera assistant job profile in unscripted TV.